One of the best and most underrated games of the early millennium is probably Indigo Prophecy, known as Fahrenheit outside of North America.
Many gamers might argue that it wasn't so much a game as a cinematic interactive drama, but the title still set the standard for its developer Quantic Dream, a company known for creating original kinds of gameplay in its titles.
Originally published by Atari for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, Indigo Prophecy also saw life on PC. The title won several awards and went on to sell more than 700,000 units since its worldwide release. In 2007, it turned up on the Xbox One with a remastered version for PC arriving in 2015.
Quantic Dream has updated the game again, though, this time remastering it for the PlayStation 4. The company made the announcement on Twitter.
FAHRENHEIT - Indigo Prophecy 1080p Remaster releasing excl. on PS4 PLAYSTATION STORE on 7/18/16. 14.99$, worldwide. pic.twitter.com/Yzwedfxjsk
— QUANTIC DREAM (@QUANTIC_DREAM) June 17, 2016
Indigo Prophecy is a paranormal thriller that follows a group of characters as they begin to learn more about the supernatural forces behind a series of strange public murders, in which normal people become possessed and commit horrific crimes.
Gameplay involves simple movement, but most importantly, allows players to make choices that affect the story's final outcome. Players take on the roles of several characters as they uncover the truth behind the mysterious force that possesses people, but must keep tabs on their mental state: the game has a sanity meter that kills the character when it becomes empty.
Conversation allows for dialogue choices, and eventually leads the story to one of multiple endings. The plot has branches that unfold over time, with each branch leading to a different outcome. This is the kind of gameplay seen in Quantic Dream's later games, too, such as Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls.
The game's atmospheric soundtrack is also memorable: Angelo Badalamenti, who composed the music for David Lynch's Lost Highway, created it.
Indigo Prophecy received mostly positive reviews from critics, too, with many noting the wonderful writing by designer David Cage, as well as pointing out how well it immerses the player in the story.
A "completely engrossing game, designed for the patience of adult players, that will stand up to an almost infinite number of sessions," Times Online wrote about the Xbox version, according to Metacritic. "It's a technically marvelous achievement by David Cage."
The remastered Indigo Prophecy arrives on PlayStation 4 on July 18.
